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The SHUTTLE February 2005

The Next NASFA Meeting is 19 February 2005 at the Regular Time and Location

{ { output also included a few anthologies and a double-handful of Oyez, Oyez short fiction. Chalker earned many honors during his career. In addition The next NASFA meeting will be 19 February 2005 at to being nominated for the 4 times, he won a the regular time and location. Dedalus Award, a Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of The February program is undetermined at press time. Books, a Skylark Award, a Hamilton-Brackett Memorial The February after-the-meeting meeting will be at Ray Award, and a Readercon award. Chalker was a guest at many Pietruszka and Nancy CucciÕs house. science fiction conventions, including being GoH at Con Stellation XVI: Eridanus in 1997. He was also honored by his peers who elected him SFWA Treasurer three times. Per a memorial service will be Jack L. Chalker, RIP held Monday 21 February 7Ð9P at the Marzullo Funeral Chapel, 6009 Harford Road, Baltimore MD 21214 (410-254- Science fiction and author Jack L. Chalker died late in 5201). Hotel rooms at special rates (reference ÒChalker Fu- the morning of 11 February 2005. He had been in a series of neralÓ) are available at the Best Western Hotel and Conference hospitals and rehabilitation facilities since early December, Center, 5625 OÕDonnell Street, Baltimore MD. originally being admitted with congestive heart failure which He is survived by his wife Eva Whitley and two sons, eventually progressed to multiple organ failure. He was in the David Whitley Chalker and Steven Lloyd Chalker. Condo- ICU at Bon Secours in Baltimore MD at the time of his death. lences can be sent to The Mirage Press Ltd., P. O. Box 1689, He was 60 years old. Westminter MD 21158; or posted online at . In lieu of flowers, dona- His early career, both academic and professional, was quite tions are being accepted at the Sierra Club, Save the Bay/ varied. He published the first (A Jungle of Stars) of over 60 Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Baltimore Science Fiction novels in 1976 and had been full time writer since 1978. His Society, and the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund.

Inside this issueÉ NASFA Calendar...... 2 Razzie Nominations...... 4 Minutes of the January Meeting ...... 2 Awards Roundup ...... 4 Book Review, Warp Speed ...... 3 No Need for Doctor Drake Chapter 5 ...... 8 Movie Review, of the Opera ...... 3 Letters of Comment ...... 9

Deadline for the March 2005 issue of The NASFA Shuttle is Friday, 4 March 2005. th Our 25 Year of1 Publication! 22 Earth Day. NASFA Calendar 24 Passover. 26 BD: Chloie Airoldi. FEBRUARY 27 Administrative ProfessionalÕs Day. 01 National Freedom Day. 29 Arbor Day. 02 Groundhog Day. 29Ð01 PersaCon IIKV Ñ Madison AL. 08 BD: Lin Cochran. 30 BD: Mark Maxwell. 09 BD: Jack Lundy. 09 Ash Wednesday. MAY 10 BD: Marcia Illingworth. 01 BD: Russell McNutt. 11 BD: Jeanna Woosley. 03 BD: Martha Knowles. 11Ð13 Furry Weekend Atlanta Ñ Atlanta GA. 08 MothersÕ Day. 12 BD: Abraham Lincoln. 14 BD: Debbie Hughes. 14 St. ValentineÕs Day. 16 BD: Linda Bolgeo. 17 BD: Nancy A. Cucci. 19 BD: David O. Miller. 19* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at 20 BD: Mike Glicksohn. BookMark. Program: TBD. ATMM: Nancy Cucci 20Ð22 Mobicon 8 Ñ Mobile AL. and Ray PietruszkaÕs house. 21* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at 19Ð20 South Carolina Book Festival Ñ Columbia SC. BookMark. Program: TBD. ATMM: TBD. 21 PresidentÕs Day. 21 Armed Forces Day. 22 BD: George Washington. 23 Victoria Day (Canada). 25Ð27 SheVaCon 13 Ñ Roanoke VA. 27 BD: Kathy Paulk. 27Ð29 Rocket City FurMeet Ñ Huntsville AL. MARCH 27Ð29 Oasis 18 Ñ Orlando FL. 02 BD: Ronnie Lajoie. 30 Memorial Day. 04Ð06 CoastCon XXIII Ñ Biloxi MS. OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 04Ð06 Concave 26 Ñ Horse Cave KY. 08 BD: Bill Payne. The North Alabama Science Fiction Association meets on 08 International WomenÕs Day. the third Saturday of each month. (Unless there is a large 09 BD: Tracey Kennedy. nearby convention being held that weekend Ñ in which case 10 BD: Kerry Gilley. we often move the meeting to the second or fourth weekend.) 11Ð13 StellarCon 29 Ñ Greensboro NC. The regular meeting location is the upstairs meeting room at 13 BD: Anita Eisenberg. BookMark on South Memorial Parkway. The Executive 15 BD: Carlo DeShouten. Committee meeting (if scheduled) is at 5P. The business 16Ð20 Virginia Festival of the Book Ñ Charlottesville VA. meeting is at 6P. The program is at 7P. Anyone is welcome to 16Ð20 International Association of the Fantastic in the Arts attend any of the meetings. There is usually an after-the- Ñ Fort Lauderdale FL. meeting meeting with directions available at the program. 17 St. PatrickÕs Day. 17 BD: JoAnn Parsons. 17Ð20 Fantasm Ñ Atlanta GA. 19* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at January Minutes BookMark. Program: TBD. ATMM: TBD. by Steve Sloan, newbie Secretary 20 First Say of Spring. 20 Palm Sunday. The January meeting of the North Alabama Science Fic- 22 BD: Jayson Woosley. tion Association was called to order on Saturday, January 15, 25 BD: Maurine Dorris. 2005 in the BookMark upstairs meeting room at 6:24P by 25 Good Friday. President Mary Ortwerth and a large population of small, 26Ð27 MomoCON Ñ Atlanta GA. robotic Alpha Males. 27 Easter. OLD BUSINESS Very little. APRIL NEW BUSINESS 01 April FoolÕs Day. We had a visit by two representatives of FrolicCon, an 01Ð03 MidSouthCon 23 Ñ Memphis TN. upcoming Atlanta convention scheduled for 2006. They dis- 01Ð03 Middle Tennessee Ñ Nashville cussed renting our art show equipment. The club talked about TN. pricing, and the best way to set up the display stands in a given 03 Daylight Saving Time begins. amount of floor space. 07 BD: Mary Ortwerth. Randy saw and liked Elektra. 08Ð10 Xanadu VIII/DeepSouthCon 43 Ñ Nashville TN. New Treasurer Sam Smith survived a mass payment of 15 Income Tax Day. club dues. 15 BD: ÒUncle TimmyÓ Bolgeo. Karen brought several ÒAlpha MaleÓ robot model kits, 16* NASFA Meeting Ñ 6P Business, 7P Program, at which we spent a lot of time assembling. There was a signifi- BookMark. Program: TBD. ATMM: TBD. cant amount of tangoing, gun play, and Òbad touchingÓ Ñ and 21 BD: Randy B. Cleary. we also posed the action figures. 21Ð24 AggieCon 36 Ñ College Station TX. Mia brought homemade chocolate chip cookies, which we 2 all enjoyed, as well as vast quantities of Baby Ruths, 100 Grand Smith, Heinlein, and all throughout the book Ñ all bars, and Tootsie Rolls. This was fortunate, because her good, classic stuff (only with updated science). Chapter 1 is replacement Candy Bringer ÒLaddieÓ was out to sea. especially Heinleinesque. We go from a karate tournament to CONVENTION BUSINESS ranting about doctors to Einsteinian tensors all in just a few The books are still open on the previous con, pages. Later on the main character and his cohorts are not only Con Stellation: Delphinus, but only for minor matters. ItÕs all practicing the martial arts, they are improving them, very effectively all over but the shouting. The people in charge of much like your typical Heinleinian . Lepus werenÕt available to report on developments for the next IÕm a sucker for a good setup, and this book has one of the Con Stellation. best IÕve seen in quite a while. The main characters are in a The meeting adjourned at 6:53P. There was no official bind, and the noose just keeps tightening, and suddenly Bang! After-the-Meeting Meeting, but there were several smaller The world is going to end in 20 minutes unless they Do gatherings. Something and Pull A Rabbit Out Of The Hat. In fact, once the action gets going thatÕs exactly what the main character says they are going to do! The last half of chapter 18 and all of Chapter 19 are my favorites because of this. (I have, in fact, Warp Speed read just those two chapters over and over again several times.) a Book Review Unfortunately, and I think itÕs simply because this is a new by Samuel A. Smith, Free, Free I Tell You! authorÕs first book, IÕve got a number of silly nit-picky things about it: The bad guys are underdeveloped. Except for one bad Warp Speed, by Travis S. Taylor, Baen, hardback, December guy with an improbable name, we never actually meet any of 2004, ISBN 0743488628, 288pp, $22.00 them (and the dialog in the big fight scene with this guy was particularly painful). There are a couple of dropped plot LetÕs get this over with. Buy this book. Read it. Go. Go threads, which I assume are just leftovers from earlier drafts. Now! The main characterÕs quirks appear and disappear inconsis- Ok, now that thatÕs overÉ tently, sometimes appearing almost as if an afterthought. The IÕve always heard, when writing, that you should Òwrite last few chapters of the book are more or less a scientistÕs what you know.Ó This is Travis TaylorÕs first book and he has fantasy about all the neat things he could do if... and it all moves done so in spades. The ÒAbout the AuthorÓ blurb in the back of too quickly and is underdeveloped. Finally, the science and the book could have been written about the bookÕs main engineering, especially after Chapter 18, degenerate into what character. There is also a huge amount of Huntsville area local I call Òcomic book scienceÓ where things Just Work and all the color in the book (having lived in Huntsville for 20+ years, I engineering realities of life go away. should know) Ñ look for appearances by Tim of TimÕs Cajun There are a number of nice techo-geek in jokes, which I Kitchen, Micro- suspect a broader audience just wonÕt get: 600 GHz processors, wave Dave, and the HTML II, C+++, etc. Of course, the book is set about four years worldÕs largest in the future, so we might actually see some of these things! lawn ornament, The book did make me think, which is sometimes a good among others. Un- thing and sometimes not. I found myself wondering if the fortunately, as Casimir Effect power supply would work inside of the warp much as I enjoyed bubble, or if the two would interact in some fashion that would the local color, make the whole thing useless. Allegedly the power supply occasionally it, and generated more power than your standard atomic bomb, so the acronym-laden how do you get the power out of it and into the warp drive? technobabble, Really big (superconducting) cables? I want to go out and build would reach stag- one of these things! gering proportions. The book is a fun, non-stop ride through a scientistÕs I found myself skip- fantasy. Quite enjoyable overall. The inside cover says Travis ping over para- will have another book coming out soon, called The Quantum graphs from time to Connection. I certainly plan on buying it. [Due out in April per time, looking for the Baen website. -ED] the story to start As I said before, go out and buy this book and read it back up again. because Dr. Travis S. Taylor is One Of Us. The title of the book, Warp Speed, gave me some trouble too. En- Oh, the HorrorÉ tirely too Star Trek. a Short Movie Review (Thank goodness the excellent David Mattingly cover makes by Mike Kennedy it clear that this is not a Star Trek book.) However, A Science Fiction Novel About the Casimir Effect and the Alcubierre Andrew Lloyd WebberÕs The Phantom of the Opera; PG-13; Warp Drive, and Associated Scientific Fantasies is not any Starring , Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Mi- better, so I suppose Warp Drive will do. randa Richardson, Minnie Driver, et al.; Directed by Joel This book is Classic Science Fiction, in the best sense of Schumacher; Written by Gaston Leroux (novel Le Fant™me de the term, written by an author well grounded in the science of LÕOpŽra), Andrew Lloyd Webber (stage musical and screen- the subject he is writing about. I caught distinct echoes of Doc play), and Joel Schumacher (screenplay); Music by Andrew 3 Lloyd Webber; Produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, et al.; Distributed by Warner Bros., et al.; 143 minutes Genre Works ÒWellÓ

Starting with the original 1911 French novel then the 1925 Represented in Lon Chaney movie, there have been probably a dozen or more incarnations of The Razzie Noms Phantom of the Op- era. The latest is the The nominations for the 25th annual Razzies have been movie version of announced. The awards, sponsored by the Golden Raspberry Andrew Lloyd Award Foundation , ÒcelebrateÓ the worst WebberÕs musical (not movies of 2004. As usual, some genre films are among the quite a ÒtrueÓ opera yearÕs stinkers and are justly included. In fact, Catwoman leads since there is a little the list this time around with 7 nominations (the nearest spoken dialog). competitor being Alexander with 6). I dare say that vir- Nominees are determined by soliciting ballots from sev- tually all Shuttle read- eral hundred film professionals, film journalists, and film fans ers are familiar with in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries. The trophy itself is Òan the basic Phantom intentionally cheapjack tchotchke featuring a golf-ball-sized, story and know at least handcrafted razzberry atop a mangled Super 8 film reel thatÕs something of how the spray-painted gold and has an estimated street value of $4.97.Ó story has changed over The presentation will be held the day before the Oscars at 7:30P the years. From his PST Saturday 26 February 2005 at the Ivar Theater in Holly- rather malevolent, if wood. Genre nominees include: not downright evil, Worst Picture ...... Catwoman (Warner Bros.) and form in early versions, SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (Triumph Films) the Phantom has Worst Actor ...... Vin Diesel (Chronicles of Riddick) evolved to something perhaps too closely approaching the Worst Actress ...... Halle Berry (Catwoman) romantic lead of the story (albeit a tragic one). On the other Worst Screen Couple ...... Halle Berry and either hand, I suspect most of us understand the obsessive drive of the Benjamin Bratt or Sharon Stone(Catwoman) Phantom as recently portrayed Ñ at least I do. Worst Supporting Actress ...... Sharon Stone (Catwoman) There are some Worst Supporting Actor...... Jon Voight (SuperBabies: weaknesses in this in- Baby Geniuses 2) and Lambert Wilson (Catwoman) carnation of Le Worst Director ...... Bob Clark (SuperBabies: Baby Fant™me. To my ear Geniuses 2), Renny Harlin and Paul Schrader Gerard ButlerÕs voice (Exorcist 4: The Beginning), and Pitof was not really up to the (aka Jean-Christophe Comar) (Catwoman) demands of the Phan- Worst Remake or Sequel ...... Alien Vs. Predator tomÕs songs and to my (20th Century Fox), Anacondas: Hunt for the eye Patrick WilsonÕs Blood Orchid (Screen Gems), Exorcist 4: The Raoul seemed a bit, Beginning (Warner Bros.), and Scooby well, vague. (Or per- Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (Warner Bros.) haps washed out would Worst Screenplay ...... Catwoman, Written by Theresa be a better description. Rebeck, John Brancato, Michael Ferris, and Other than being pret- and SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2, tier than the Phantom, Written by Steven Paul and Gregory Poppen itÕs not easy to see why Worst ÒDramaÓ of Last 25 Years...... Battlefield Earth Christine would prefer Worst ÒComedyÓ of Last 25 Years ...... Adventures of him.) Pluto Nash, The Cat in the Hat, and Leonard Part 6 To me, though, the Worst ÒMusicalÓ of Last 25 Years ...... Xanadu movieÕs strengths well outweigh itÕs weak- nesses. The movie is absolutely gorgeous (costumes, sets, lighting, cinematography, etc.) The music, though familiar to Awards Roundup many people, is nonetheless stirring. (Some critics have appar- ently complained that the music should have been updated. 2 IS THE PEOPLEÕS CHOICE While that wouldnÕt have hurt anything, I donÕt see it as The 31st Annual PeopleÕs Choice Awards were presented necessary.) The acting is not the movieÕs strongest point Sunday evening 9 January 2005 at the Pasadena Civic Audito- (musicals are inherently somewhat stylized) but is more than rium and broadcast live on CBS. The awards covered 38 film, good enough to play itÕs part. And, the plot has certainly stood television, and music categories. Nominations were deter- the test of time. mined by editors at Entertainment Weekly, the PeopleÕs Choice If you hate musicals you probably wonÕt enjoy Andrew production team, and a panel of pop culture fans. Winners were Lloyd WebberÕs The Phantom of the Opera. Otherwise do determined by Internet voting. was a big winner, yourself a favor and go see it, if nothing else springing for taking home trophies for Comedy Motion Picture, Animated matinee prices. Motion Picture, Favorite Sequel, Animated Movie Star 4 (, voiced by ), and Movie Villain (The River of Gods, Ian McDonald (Simon and Schuster) Godmother, voiced by Jennifer Saunders). Stamping Butterflies, Jon Courtenay Grimwood (Gollancz ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD NOMS SF) Finalists for this yearÕs Arthur C. Clarke Award, for best BSFA Best Short Fiction SF novel with its first British publication in 2004 were an- ÒDelhi,ÓVandana Singh (So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolo- nounced 30 January 2005. The nominees are Ian McDonaldÕs nial Visions of the Future, Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder River of Gods, China MiŽvilleÕs Iron Council, David MitchellÕs Mehan, eds.) Cloud Atlas, Richard MorganÕs Market Forces, Audrey ÒMayflower II,Ó Stephen Baxter (PS Publishing) NiffeneggerÕs The Time TravelerÕs Wife, and Neal ÒPoint of No Return,Ó Jon Courtenay Grimwood (New Scien- StephensonÕs The System of the World. The winner will be tist, Christmas/New Year) announced Wednesday 11 May 2005 at the English Heritage ÒThe Faery Handbag,Ó (The Faery Reel: Tales Lecture Theatre in . from the Twilight Realm, and Terri Win- LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS NOMS dling, eds.) The Lambda Literary Awards cover many categories of ÒThe Wolf-Man of Alcatraz,Ó (Sci Fiction, fiction and non-fiction books with gay, lesbian, transgendered, 22 September 2004) or related themes. Finalists for the 17th annual awards have BSFA Best Artwork been announced. In the ÒSci-Fi/Fantasy/HorrorÓ category the Iguana, photo by Sebastiao Salgado nominees are Firelands, Michael Jensen (Alyson Books); The Millau Bridge, photo by Eric Cabanis/AFP/Getty Shadow of the Night: Queer Tales of the Uncanny and Cover of NewtonÕs Wake by Ken MacLeod (Tor US), Stephan Unusual, Greg Herren, ed. (The Haworth Press); The Ordi- Martini•re nary, Jim Grimsley (Tor Books); The Wizard of Isis, Jean Cover of The Algebraist by Iain M Banks, original photo Stewart (Bella Books); and With Her Body, Nicola Griffith credited to NASA (Aqueduct Press). Cover of The Year of Our War by Steph Swainston, Edward OSCAR NOMS Miller Though there was no 800-pound gorilla genre film this PHILIP K. DICK AWARD NOMS year, sf/fantasy did manage a few nominations for the Acad- The Philip K. Dick Award is given annually for distin- emy Awards. These include: guished science fiction published in paperback original form in Kate Winslet (Actress in a Leading Role, Eternal Sunshine of the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia the Spotless Mind) Science Fiction Society and the award ceremony is sponsored The Incredibles, Shark Tale, and Shrek 2 (Animated Feature by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society. Judges for this Film) yearÕs award are Arthur Byron Cover, Karin Lowachee, Syne Lemony SnicketÕs A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Mitchell, James Van Pelt, and Sherryl Vint (chair). First prize Phantom of the Opera (Art Direction) and any special citations will be announced on Friday 25 The Phantom of the Opera (Cinematography) March 2005 at Norwescon 28 at the Doubletree SeaTac Hotel Lemony SnicketÕs A Series of Unfortunate Events (Costume in SeaTac WA. The nominations are: Design) , Geoff Ryman (St. MartinÕs Griffin) Lemony SnicketÕs A Series of Unfortunate Events (Makeup) Apocalypse Array, Lyda Morehouse (Roc) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lemony SnicketÕs Banner of Souls, Liz Williams (Bantam Spectra) A Series of Unfortunate Event, and The Village (Music, City of Pearl, Karen Traviss (Eos) Score) The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad, Minister ÒAccidentally In Love,Ó Shrek 2; ÒBelieve,Ó The Polar Ex- Faust (Del Rey) press; and ÒLearn To Be Lonely,Ó The Phantom of the Life, Gwyneth Jones (Aqueduct Press) Opera (Music, Song) Stable Strategies and Others, Eileen Gunn (Tachyon Publica- The Incredibles, The Polar Express, and Spider-Man 2 (Sound tions) Editing) NEBULA AWARDS PRELIMINARY BALLOT The Polar Express and Spider-Man 2 (Sound Mixing) The Nebula Awards are voted on and presented by active Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I, Robot, and members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Amer- Spider-Man 2 (Visual Effects) ica and are the premier peer awards in the field. Nominees were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Incredibles announced 4 January 2005 for the 2004 calendar year. The (Writing, Original Screenplay) awards will be presented at the 2004 Nebula Awards Banquet BSFA NOMS at ChicagoÕs Allegro Hotel Saturday 30 April 2005. The The British Science Fiction Association Awards are presented annually by the British Science Nebula Novels Fiction Association, based on a vote of BSFA members and , Lois McMaster Bujold (Eos, October 2003) members of the British national science fiction convention Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Cory Doctorow (Tor, (Eastercon). The shortlist for the 2004 awards were announced February 2003) 23 January 2005. The awards will be presented on Saturday 26 Omega, Jack McDevitt (Ace, November 2003) March 2005 in a ceremony at the Eastercon. The nominees are: Perfect Circle, Sean Stewart (Small Beer Press, June 2004) BSFA Best Novel Conquistador, S. M. Stirling (Roc, February 2004) Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz SF) The Knight, (Tor, January 2004) Forty Signs of Rain, Kim Stanley Robinson (HarperCollins) Nebula Novellas Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke ÒWalk in Silence,Ó Catherine Asaro (Analog, April 2003) (Bloomsbury) ÒOff on a Starship,Ó William Barton (AsimovÕs, September NewtonÕs Wake, Ken MacLeod (Orbit) 2003) 5 ÒTime Ablaze,Ó Michael A.Burstein (Analog, June 2004) NAL) ÒThe Tangled Strings of the Marionettes,Ó Adam-Troy ÒThe Trouble with Heroes,Ó Jo Beverly (Irresistible Forces, Castro (F&SF, July 2003) NAL) ÒSergeant Chip,Ó Bradley Denton (F&SF, September 2004) ÒWinter Born,Ó Sherrilyn Kenyon (Stroke of Midnight, St. ÒArabian Wine,Ó Gregory Feeley (AsimovÕs, April/May 2004) MartinÕs) ÒThe Cookie Monster,Ó Vernor Vinge (Analog, October ÒWinterfair Gifts,Ó Lois McMaster Bujold (Irresistible Forces, 2003) NAL) ÒThe Green Leopard Plague,Ó Walter Jon Williams (Asi- NOMS movÕs, October/November 2003) The Saturn Awards are sponsored by the Academy of ÒJust Like the Ones We Used to Know,Ó Connie Willis Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films . Nominations for the 31st annual awards have been Nebula Novelettes announced. ÒPaying It Forward,Ó Michael A. Burstein (Analog, Septem- Saturn Best Science Fiction Film ber 2003) The Butterfly Effect (New Line Cinema) ÒZora and the Zombie,Ó (Sci Fiction, 2/4/04) (20th Century Fox) ÒBasement Magic,Ó Ellen Klages (F&SF, May 2003) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Focus Features) ÒThe Voluntary State,Ó Christopher Rowe (Sci Fiction, May The Forgotten (Sony Pictures) 2004) I, Robot (20th Century Fox) ÒDry Bones,Ó William Sanders (AsimovÕs, May 2003) Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Paramount) ÒThe GladiatorÕs War: A Dialogue,Ó Lois Tilton (AsimovÕs, Saturn Best Fantasy Film June 2004) Birth (New Line Cinema) Nebula Short Stories Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros.) ÒThe Strange Redemption of Sister Mary Anne,Ó Mike Hellboy (Sony Pictures) Moscoe (Analog, November 2004) House of Flying Daggers (Sony Classics) ÒTravels With my Cats,Ó Mike Resnick (AsimovÕs, February Lemony SnicketÕs A Series of Unfortunate Events (Para- 2004) mount) ÒEmbracing-The-New,Ó Benjamin Rosenbaum (AsimovÕs, Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures) January 2004) Saturn Best Horror Film ÒShed Skin,Ó Robert J. Sawyer (Analog, January/February Blade: Trinity (New Line Cinema) 2004) Dawn of the Dead (Universal) ÒIn the Late December,Ó Greg van Eekhout (Strange Hori- The Grudge (Sony) zons, 12/22/03) Open Water (Lions Gate) ÒAloha,Ó Ken Wharton (Analog, June 2003) Saw (Lions Gate) Nebula Scripts Shaun of the Dead (Rogue Pictures) The Incredibles, Brad Bird (Pixar, November 2004) Van Helsing (Universal) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman and Saturn Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film Michel Gondry (Anonymous Content/Focus Features, The Aviator (Miramax) First aired 3/18/04) The Bourne Supremacy (Universal) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Fran Walsh, Collateral (DreamWorks SKG) Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson (New Line Cinema, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (Miramax) First aired 17 December 2003, Based on the novel by J. R. The Manchurian Candidate (Paramount) R. Tolkien) National Treasure (Buena Vista) SAPPHIRE AWARDS NOMS The Phantom of the Opera (Warner Bros.) The Sapphire Awards annually honor the best in the Saturn Best Animated Film Science Fiction Romance field and are sponsored by the The Incredibles (Buena Vista) Science Fiction Romance Newsletter . The Polar Express (Warner Bros.) Nominees are chosen by readers of the newsletter and winners Shark Tale (DreamWorks SKG) selected by a team of judges. Finalists for the 2004 calender Shrek 2 (DreamWorks SKG) year were announced 11 January 2005. First, second, and third Saturn Best Actor (Movie) place winners will be announced in the April 2005 SFR (The Machinist) newsletter. The nominees are: Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) Sapphire Best Speculative Romance Novel Tom Cruise (Collateral) Day of Fire, Kathleen Nance (Dorchester) Matt Damon (The Bourne Supremacy) Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris (Ace) Johnny Depp (Finding ) Heart Duelm, Robin D. Owens (Berkley) Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man 2) JaneÕs Warlord, Angela Knight (Berkley) Saturn Best Actress (Movie) RavenÕs Shadow, Patricia Briggs (Ace) Nicole Kidman (Birth) The Scarlet Empress, Susan Grant (Dorchester) Julianne Moore (The Forgotten) Sapphire Best Speculative Romance Short Fiction Blanchard Ryan (Open Water) ÒDead Girls DonÕt Dance,Ó MaryJanice Davidson (Cravings, Uma Thurman (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) Jove) Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) ÒThe Night Owl,Ó Emma Holly (Hot Blooded, Jove) Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers) ÒOriginally Human,Ó Eileen Wilks (Cravings, Jove) Saturn Best Supporting Actor (Movie) ÒStained Glass Heart,Ó Catherine Asaro (Irresistible Forces, David Carradine (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) 6 Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) (I, Robot) Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) , Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, and Giovanni Ribisi (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) (Spider-Man 2) Liev Schreiber (The Manchurian Candidate) , , Daniel Jeannette, and Syd Dutton John Turturro (Secret Window) (Van Helsing) Saturn Best Supporting Actress (Movie) Saturn Best Network Television Series Kim Basinger (Cellular) Alias (ABC) Irma P. Hall (The Ladykillers) (The WB Network) Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) Angelina Jolie (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) Lost (ABC) Diane Kruger (National Treasure) (The WB Network) Meryl Streep (The Manchurian Candidate) Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN) Saturn Best Performance by a Young Actor (Movie) Saturn Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series Cameron Bright (Birth) Dead Like Me (Showtime) Perla Haney-Jardine (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) The Dead Zone (USA Network) Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland) The 4400 (USA Network) Jonathan Jackson (Stephen KingÕs Riding the Bullet) Nip/Tuck (FX) Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) : SG-1 (Sci Fi Channel/MGM) Emmy Rossum (Phantom of the Opera) Stargate: Atlantis (Sci Fi Channel/MGM) Saturn Best Director (Movie) Saturn Best Television Presentation Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) The Dead Will Tell (CBS) Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) : Peacekeeper Wars (Sci Fi Channel) Michael Mann (Collateral) 5ive Days To Midnight (Sci Fi Channel) Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 2) Legend of (Sci Fi Channel/Hallmark) Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (TNT) Yimou Zhang (House of Flying Daggers) SalemÕs Lot (TNT) Saturn Best Writer (Movie) Saturn Best Actor in a Television Series Stuart Beattie (Collateral) (Stargate: SG-1) Brad Bird (The Incredibles) Ben Browder (Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars) Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) (Lost) Steve Kloves (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck) Alvin Sargent (Spider-Man 2) (Smallville) Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill: Vol. 2) Noah Wyle (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear) Saturn Best Music (Movie) Saturn Best Actress in a Television Series Danny Elfman (Spider-Man 2) Kristin Bell (Veronica Mars) Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles) (Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars) Edward Shearmur (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) Jennifer Garner (Alias) Alan Silvestri (The Polar Express) Anne Heche (The Dead Will Tell) Alan Silvestri (Van Helsing) Evangeline Lilly (Lost) John Williams (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) Saturn Best Costume (Movie) Saturn Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series Alexandra Byrne (The Phantom of the Opera) Kyle MacLachlan (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear) Stella McCartney (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) (Angel) Wendy Partridge (Hellboy) Dominic Monaghan (Lost) Gabriella Pescucci and Carlo Poggioli (Van Helsing) Terry OÕQuinn (Lost) Jany Temine (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) (Smallville) Emi Wada (House of Flying Daggers) Michael Shanks (Stargate: SG-1) Saturn Best Make Up (Movie) Saturn Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series David Anderson and Mario Cacioppo (Dawn of the Dead) Amy Acker (Angel) and Amanda Knight (Harry Potter and the Erica Durance (Smallville) Prisoner of Azkaban) Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis) and Matt Rose (Hellboy) Samantha Mathis (SalemÕs Lot) Valli OÕReilly and (Lemony SnicketÕs A Series of Amanda Tapping (Stargate: SG-1) Unfortunate Events) Sonya Walger (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear) Paul Jones (Resident Evil: Apocalypse) Saturn Best DVD Release and Steve LaPorte (Van Helsing) Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru-Nui (Buena Vista) Saturn Best Special Effects (Movie) Ju-On: The Grudge (Lions Gate) Peter Chiang, , and Thomas J. Smith (The The Lion King 1 1/2 (Buena Vista) Chronicles of Riddick) The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (Columbia/TriStar) Matthew Butler, Neil Corbould, , and Greg Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (Columbia/ Strause (The Day After Tomorrow) TriStar) , Tim Burke, Bill George, and John Richardson RipleyÕs Game (New Line) (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) Saturn Best DVD Special Release John Nelson, Andrew R. Jones, Erik Nash, and The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated DirectorÕs Cut, Univer- 7 sal) Peter: DoesnÕt matterÉ I cannot show you the way to Hellboy (DirectorÕs Cut, Columbia/TriStar) Neverland. King Arthur (Extended Unrated Version, Buena Vista) PED: Why not? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Cut, Peter: The know about you; and yourÉ appetites. New Line) There are Princesses there. Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) PED: There are princesses here, too. Are you not here for Spider-Man 2 (Special Edition, Sony Pictures HE) Dorothy? Saturn Best DVD Classic Film Release Peter: And I wish I werenÕt. Her soul will fly free, as soon Aladdin (Buena Vista) as the belt comes off. Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition, Anchor Bay) PED: Why would the belt come off? Duel (Universal) Peter: The Nome King has come to retrieve his propertyÉ The Fearless Vampire Killers (Warner) the Silver Belt. HeÕs in OzmaÕs palace, now. Freaks (Warner) (I spring upwards at once; wings pumping mightily. Pan THX 1138 (Warner) gets tumbled by the backwash. I arrow toward DorothyÕs Saturn Best DVD Collection window...shrinking to cat size as I go through it. The Lion The Best of Abbott and Costello, Vol. 1Ð3 (Universal) sleeps, too deeply to be natural. There is the patient: breathing The Ultimate Matrix Collection (Warner) shallowly; with the belt still in place. I alight upon the head- The Marx Brothers Silver Collection (Universal) board, and keep very still; miming a decoration andÉ watch- The Monster Legacy Collections (Universal) ing. The Trilogy (Fox/ Ltd.) Half an hour later; I see a slight movement. An arm and The Tarzan Collection (Warner) hand reach slowly up from beneath the bed, feeling their way Saturn Best DVD Television Release toward the belt clasp. I silently stretch my neck out to intercept , Seasons 2 and 3 (Fox) the handÉ and bite it off! Farscape, Season 4 (ADV) A great shriek and commotion arise from under the bedÉ The Simpsons, Seasons 4 and 5 (Fox) rousing the Lion. There is blood on the sheet, and a hand in my Smallville, Seasons 2 and 3 (Warner) mouth; but no other sign of the intruder. The straw man bursts Star Trek: Voyager, Seasons 1Ð7 (Paramount) through the door.) A Wrinkle in Time (Buena Vista) Lion: He was here! I smell him! But heÕs gone! Saturn Best DVD Retro Television Release Scarecrow: Half the palace is out cold! The Jonny Quest (Warner) outside is stiff as a board. (To the Tin Man) How could you Land of the Lost, Seasons 1 and 2 (Rhino) have gotten so rusty, indoors; with all your parts being nickel- Lost In Space, Seasons 1 and 2 (Fox) plated? My Favorite Martian, Season 1 (Rhino) Tin Man: (muffled words through unmoving jaws.) Night Gallery, Season 1 (Universal) (The Scarecrow tries to oil the Tin ManÕs jaw, but the oil Star Trek: The Original Series (Paramount) can flies out of his grasp and sticks firmly to the nickel-plated shoulder. Leaning-in to retrieve the oil can, the ScarecrowÕs head becomes stuck beside it.) Scarecrow: Help! HeÕs not rusted! HeÕs been magnet- No Need For a Mole and a OZed! (Professor Wogglebug scuttles in, grabs hold of the Scare- Night Visitor! crow, and pulls him free of the Tin Man. He then whacks the No Need for Doctor Drake (aka The Lizard of Oz) Ñ Scarecrow on both sides of his head.) Chapter 5 Scarecrow: What did you hit me for? by PieEyedDragon Wogglebug: The tacks and needles that make your brains sharp would have been twisted all in one direction. You need ÒHello, Boy.Ó I call out. to be able to think out all the angles; not just in straight lines. (He executes a dive off the roof; with a swoop-de-loop that Scarecrow: How can we fix the Tin Man? Tin is not ends with him floating in front of me.) magnetic. ÒHello, dragon.Ó says Pan. ÒFancy meeting you, here.Ó Wogglebug: No, but nickel is! Take him to the foundry PED: Long story, I guess. Can you tell me how I can get and get him hot; but not quite red hot. That will randomize his back home? You must know at least one way. magnetozm, without welding his joints. When he starts mov- Peter: The direct route is not generally open. The path back ing well, let him cool down. He will only need a complete to Neverland is narrow, as is the one from there to London. relubrication to make him as good as new. Wherever Tik Tok PED: Oh, Shells! Narrow, I can deal with; but I promised is, he may be in the same condition. Puck I would avoid England. No other paths? Ñ O Ñ O Ñ O Ñ Peter: Maybe, do you likeÉ crocodiles? (I watch the Boy fly away as dawn begins creeping up into PED: I ate one once, from a salt water marsh near Leba- the eastern sky. For luck: I face the rising sun and invoke my non. It was twenty feet long and much too chewy. I prefer patroness Ñ ÒShe Who Shines In The Heavens.Ó Amaterasu salmon. commanded me onto the first leg of the journey that brought me Peter: (Laughs) There may also be a water gate, but the to Oz: armed with a generous helping of luck. I think I used up mermaids wonÕt go near it. An Indian Shaman once opened a most of it before landing here. If Dorothy is not cured today; land gate so his tribe could escape to Neverland. He had to stay part of her will leave with Pan, tonight.) behind because the magic cost a lifeÉ his. [Some of the above beings and situations have been suggested PED: Perhaps a dragon could get through the water gate? by the works of L. F. Baum and James Barrie] 8 chasing the deadline to get a loc in. Seems to work; why change Letters of Comment things? Congratulations to the club on 25 years of the newslet- ter! HereÕs some comments on this historic issue. EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC Maybe we thought the old Gremlin would last forever, but we should have known better. was everyoneÕs Michael D. Glicksohn 18 January 2005 favorite pro artist, and everyoneÕs friend. I wish heÕd been able to take his rightful place with the Torcon 3 slate of guests; he wasnÕt able to attend for health reasons. I remember Polly I read about KellyÕs death in the largest of the local Freas with fondness; she loved everyone at the conventions, newspapers. Naturally I was saddened but I was also pleased too. Her death was announced at a Detroit-area convention I he was considered important enough to have a separate article was at that year; it cast a pall over the whole weekend, but the in the main news section of the paper. Of course, it was amazing fund-raising efforts at that conÕs art show restored primarily due to his association with MAD magazine but those some of my faith in . of us who knew and loved him know just how widely and Yesterday was Groundhog DayÉ Punxsutawney Phil deeply his artistic talent ran. was a pessimist and predicted six more weeks of winter. At my third convention, the 1968 in Oakland, However, weÕve got a couple of groundhogs up here, too. I was still a poor college student. At the previous Worldcon in Wiarton Willie and Shubenacadie Sam (kid you not, they exist, New York City I had bought a couple of Jack Gaughan in Ontario and Nova Scotia respectively) were optimists and magazine covers at the art auction (Jack was a favourite artist predicted the end of winter. IÕd rather go with the good news, of mine and shortly thereafter became a good friend.) So I myself. (Wiarton Willie is an albino groundhog, just for the attended the art auction in Oakland. But getting to California record.) was a lot more expensive than driving to New York City so I Hello, PieEyedÉ interesting story of how some of our had practically no disposable income. I will never forget sitting natural Òmagic,Ó in the form of radium and radiation, can affect there and watching Kelly Freas original cover paintings from a land of magic and the people within. IÕm CCing you on this various sf magazines being offered for a $50 minimum bid and loc because I received your package via Mike Kennedy, and being withdrawn because nobody Ñ sadly including myself Ñ many thanks for that. Windoz doesnÕt work well, no matter if made the bid. In later years when I watched his work going for the place is real or magical. I think it was Philip Jose Farmer four figure sums I would always think back to those halcyon who brought characters of many different books or ÒuniversesÓ days as a young fan. (I do have a single Kelly original: a black together to see how theyÕd interact. YouÕre carrying on his and white magazine illustration which sits nicely framed only tradition just fine. three feet from where I am typing. ItÕs a beautiful piece of pen Greetings to Mr. Glicksohn! I always smile when we meet and ink work and a wonderful reminder of a long and joyous in a when our residences are only a few miles apart. I friendship with a truly remarkable talent and person. I will hope youÕll be able to make it to more First Thursdays this year. always be glad I had the honour of contacting Kelly to ask him As Sheryl Birkhead points out, itÕs Hugo nomination time. to be the Artist Guest of Honour at Torcon 3, even though he As have grown too expensive for us, I donÕt have was forced at the last minute to cancel his appearance.) As you to worry about this any more. However, it will soon be Aurora say, he will be sorely missed. nomination time, and once Canadian fandom has spoken about It is sad that sometimes I donÕt recognize the names of who should be on the ballot, IÕll pass on that information. people who are guests at conventions. It is even sadder that Thank you for the new Shuttle, and I hope the holidays sometimes I donÕt know the names of people who are running were lots of fun, and easily paid off. Take care, all, and see you for the various fan funds that were once major parts of my life next month. (and which I remain one of only two fans to have lost the biggest two of!). [I guess the tagline about our 25th year of publication was Hope we all have A Damn Fine Year! ambiguous Ñ weÕre just starting that year. Our first issue was February 1981, which IÕve always figured was close enough to [A Damn Fine Year would be most welcome. I did have a Kelly the beginning of the year to count our publication years as Freas original at one time myself, though I unfortunately no synonymous with calendar years. If I get sufficiently ambitious longer have it. At the first real convention I attended (Deep- perhaps IÕll republish some of that yearÕs content sometime SouthCon 16, Atlanta, 1978, if my hasty research is correct) during this silver year. Wiarton WillieÉ hmmm. I wonder there was a blood drive. Kelly Freas was the AGoH and how/if being albino affects a groundhogÕs ability to forecast volunteered to sketch caricatures of everyone who donated. weather. -ED] They were very simple of course as he had only a few minutes for each person, but nonetheless a generous and touching gesture. -ED]

EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC-EMOC

Lloyd Penney 3 February 2005 1706-24 Eva Road Etobicoke ON Canada M9C 2B2

Thank you for the January Shuttle, and of course, IÕm art by Sheryl Birkhead 9 P. O. Box 4857 Huntsville AL 35815-4857

***************************************************************************************************************** The NASFA Shuttle is the newsletter of the North Alabama Science Fiction Association, Inc. This is the February 2005 edition (Volume 25, Number 2). NASFA Officers for 2005: President Mary Ortwerth; Vice President Mike Kennedy; Secretary Steve Sloan; Treasurer Sam Smith; Program Director Karen Hopkins; Publicity Director Mia Smith. Shuttle Editor Mike Kennedy. Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by email to: [email protected] Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (EMAIL) Comments, inquiries, and contributions of writing by snailmail to: Mike Kennedy, 7907 Charlotte Drive SW, Huntsville AL 35802-2841 Ñ EDITORIAL ADDRESS (SNAILMAIL) Dues ($), subscriptions ($), and Official Mail to: NASFA, Inc., P. O. Box 4857, Huntsville AL 35815-4857 Ñ OFFICIAL ADDRESS Contents Copyright, © 2005. All rights revert to contributors. All opinions are those of the individual authors and do not reflect club policies other than by coincidence. LoCs subject to edited printing. NASFA Dues = $15/year (Family rates available) Subscription only = $10/year Single copy = $1.50 each. *****************************************************************************************************************

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